transcript
2010 Outline for Sharing Time2010 Outline for Sharing Time
I Know My Savior Lives “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and
that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth”
( Job 19:25).
Instructions for Sharing Time and the Children’s Sacrament Meeting
Presentation
Tip: Inviting children to
learn from the scriptures
lifelong love for the word of
God. Plan ways each week
to invite the children to
use and learn from their
scriptures. Some children
learning activities in this
on pages 7, 12, and 18 will
give you ideas on how to
teach using the scriptures.
Dear Primary Presidencies and Music Leaders,
This year you have the opportunity to help the children feel and
understand the great love that
our Savior, Jesus Christ, has for them. Through the witness of the
Holy Ghost, the children will
learn that because of the central role of Jesus Christ in our
Heavenly Father’s plan, they can
have faith in Him. The children will also learn that their faith
will grow stronger as they keep
the commandments, serve, share the gospel, follow the example of
the Savior, and prepare for
His Second Coming.
Thank you for your faithful commitment. We pray for you, and we are
confident in your ability
to love the children and to teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ
and help them live according
to its principles.
Gospel Instruction
Use this booklet as you prepare to teach a 15-minute lesson each
week during sharing time. You may supplement the weekly lessons
with other Church-approved materials, such as the Friend or the
Liahona. The following guide- lines will help you plan and present
lessons.
Love Those You Teach. Show your love for the children by learning
their names and being aware of their interests, talents, and
needs.
Teach the Doctrine by the Spirit. As you prepare lessons, pray for
guidance and strive to strength- en your testimony of the
principles you will teach. This will help you teach by the
Spirit.
Invite Diligent Learning. This booklet is designed to help you know
not only what to teach but also how to teach and invite diligent
learning. You will teach the doctrine more effectively as you do
the following three things in every lesson:
1. Identify the doctrine. Clearly introduce the doctrine that the
children will be learning. Consider ways to do this verbally and
visually. (For some examples, see the lessons for the first week in
March and the first week in July.)
2. Encourage understanding. Ensure that the children gain a deeper
understanding of the doctrine through a variety of teaching methods
that engage them in learning, such as singing songs, role-playing,
and reading scriptures.
3. Encourage application. Give the children opportunities to apply
the doctrine in their lives. Consider how they can express feelings
about or set a goal related to the doctrine.
This booklet provides complete lessons for some of the weeks in the
year. Ideas, but not complete lessons, are included for the other
weeks. Supple- ment those ideas with some of your own. You can get
ideas by reading other lessons in this booklet. When there is a
fifth Sunday, use this time to review previous lessons. The Spirit
can guide you as you plan and prepare activities for lessons.
Work with the music leader as you prepare your lessons. Singing
songs will help reinforce the doctrines you are teaching.
Occasionally you may invite teachers and their classes to help you
with parts of the gospel instruction.
Some lessons suggest inviting guest speakers to participate in
Primary. You should get the approval of your bishop or branch
president before inviting these individuals to participate.
Accompanying the lessons are several teaching tips that will help
you improve your ability to teach. The lessons also include
pictures that will help you see what an activity looks like.
Although developing teaching skills is impor- tant, your own
spiritual preparation and testi- mony are what will invite the
Spirit to confirm these doctrines in the hearts of the
children.
1
Sacrament Meeting Presentations
It is not necessary to give each child a scripted speaking part.
Effective presentations
involve the children in a variety of ways.
Tip: You can find
the Liahona. Use these
your lessons.
Singing Time
Music in Primary should establish a reverent atmosphere, teach the
gospel, and help children feel the influence of the Holy Ghost and
the joy that comes through singing. You should spend 20 minutes
teaching music in sharing time. This will ensure that you have
enough time to teach new music and to help the children enjoy
singing.
This booklet includes a new song for the chil- dren to learn this
year (see pages 28–29). It also includes a section titled “How to
Use Music in Primary” (see pages 26–27) and additional ideas for
teaching songs to children (see pages 3, 5, 9, and 15).
Guidelines for the Sacrament Meeting Presentation
Under the direction of the bishop or branch president, the
children’s sacrament meeting presentation is given during the
fourth quarter of the year. Meet with the counselor in the
bishopric or branch presidency who oversees Primary early in the
year to discuss preliminary plans. Obtain his approval when the
plans are completed.
Plan for the children to present the program based on the monthly
sharing time themes. Throughout the year, keep notes of children’s
talks and personal experiences for possible use
in the presentation. As you plan for the children to share what
they have learned about this year’s theme, think of ways they can
help the congrega- tion focus on the gospel doctrines they are
teaching.
As you prepare the presentation, remember the following
guidelines:
• Practices should not take time away from classes or families
unnecessarily.
• Visuals, costumes, and media presentations are not appropriate
for sacrament meeting.
Resources Used in This Booklet
The following abbreviations are used throughout the booklet:
CS Children’s Songbook
TNGC Teaching, No Greater Call
Many lessons include suggestions for using pictures. You can find
pictures in the Gospel Art Book, the Gospel Art Picture Kit,
Primary manual picture packets, and Church magazines and online at
images.lds.org.
Curriculum for 2010
General Curriculum
Nursery: Behold Your Little Ones; Sunbeams: Primary 1; CTR 4–7:
Primary 2; Valiant 8–11: Primary 6
Basic Curriculum
Sunbeams: Primary 1; CTR 4–7: Primary 2; Valiant 8–11: Primary
4
2
January We Believe in God the Eternal Father and in His Son, Jesus
Christ “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son,
Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost” (Articles of Faith 1:1).
Supplement the ideas provided here with some of your own. Plan ways
to identify the doctrine for the children and help them understand
it and apply it in their lives. Ask yourself, “What will the
children do to learn, and how can I help them feel the
Spirit?”
Week 1: God is the Father of my spirit.
Song: “I Know That My Savior Loves Me” (pages 28–29 of this out-
line or Friend, Oct. 2002, 46–47)
Object Lessons “Object lessons relate
intangible principles to familiar physical things” (TNGC, 164).
This object lesson will help children understand the nature of
their spirit in relation to
their physical body.
the doctrine for the
children and help them
understand it and apply
children opportunities to:
• Discuss the doctrine.
• Read scriptures related
to the doctrine.
• Visualize the doctrine.
doctrine.
truthfulness of what you
teach.
Identify the doctrine (seeing an object lesson): Show the children
a few different gloves and point out that each of these gloves
looks different, just as each of us looks different. Explain that
no matter how different we look, we all have a spirit inside our
body, and our spirit gives us life. To illustrate this, put on a
glove and wiggle your fingers. Explain that the glove is like our
body and the hand is like our spirit. Have the children listen for
the answer to the question “Who is the Father of my spirit?” as you
read the first two sentences of Malachi 2:10. Write “God is the
Father of my spirit” on the board. Have the children read it
together with you. Explain that we are all part of one big
family—God’s family.
Encourage understanding (singing a song): Show a picture of a
family and explain that when Heavenly Father sent us to earth, He
sent us to live in families. Have the children hold up their
fingers to show how many people are in their family. Tell the
children that they will sing a song that teaches about their
heavenly family and their
earthly family. Ask a child to leave the room, and have the other
children choose a place to hide the picture of a family. Invite the
child to return and find the picture of the family while the
children sing “I Am a Child of God” (CS, 2–3). When the child is
far from the picture, have the children stay seated; as he or she
gets closer to the picture, have the children gradually stand.
Repeat with other children as time allows. Discuss the message of
the song and testify of the importance of families.
Encourage application (looking in a mirror): Let each child take a
turn looking in a mirror. Tell them that each time they look into a
mirror they should remember that they are seeing a child of
God.
3
Children love to see their own artwork. If you make a roller box,
it can be reused
for other lessons. This activity can also be done
by taping pictures together to make a simple scroll.
Tip: Elder Dallin H. Oaks
said, “We need to make
more use of our hymns
to put us in tune with the
Spirit of the Lord, to unify
us, and to help us teach
and learn our doctrine”
Oct. 1994, 13; or Ensign,
Nov. 1994, 12). Refer to
the tips and activities in
this outline to learn a
variety of ways you can
use music in sharing time.
Encourage understanding (reading scriptures): Post three pictures
on the board: John Baptizing Jesus, Christ Appears to the Nephites,
and The First Vision. Divide the children into three groups, and
give each group one of the following scriptures: Matthew 3:16–17; 3
Nephi 11:6–8; Joseph Smith—History 1:17. Have them discuss
the scripture in their groups and then report to the rest of the
children (1) the event, (2) what Heavenly Father said, and (3) how
they would have felt if they had been there. Invite a child to read
John 5:39. Explain that we can gain a testimony that Jesus Christ
is the Son of God when we read the scriptures and pray.
Week 2: Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Weeks 3 and 4: Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me.
Encourage understanding (playing a guessing game and singing): Have
the pianist play the first two notes of a song that teaches about
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ’s love for us, and have the
children guess the song. Add one note at a time until the children
guess correctly. Sing the song together and then discuss what the
song teaches about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ’s love for us.
List the children’s ideas on the board. Repeat with each song.
Consider using the following songs: “My Heavenly Father Loves Me”
(CS, 228–29), “Thanks to Our Father” (CS, 20), “I Feel My Savior’s
Love” (CS, 74–75), and “I Am a Child of God” (CS, 2–3).
Encourage application (drawing): Give each child a piece of paper
and have them draw one way they know that Heavenly Father and Jesus
Christ
love them. You may want to refer the children to the ideas you
listed on the board in the activity above. Tape the pictures
together, and display them in a roller box (see TNGC, 178–79) or
unroll them as you would a scroll. As the children watch, have the
pianist play one of the songs listed above.
Encourage understanding and application (participating in a
physical activity): Write some examples of ways that Heavenly
Father shows His love for us and ways we show our love for Him on
separate pieces of paper. Put the pieces of paper in a container,
and have a child pull them out one at a time. Read each one aloud.
If it is something that shows Heavenly Father’s love for us, have
the children stretch one arm upward. If it shows our love for
Heavenly Father, have them put their hands over their heart.
Helps for the music leader
To help the children learn “I Know That My Savior Loves Me” (pages
28–29 of this outline), consider the following:
Show a picture of the Savior blessing the Nephite children, and
tell the children the story found in 3 Nephi 17:11–24 in your own
words. Sing the first line of the song to the children, and
include
an action to go with the phrase “beautiful place” (such as
spreading your arms wide). Have the children sing and do the action
with you. Invite the children to think of actions to go with each
line of the song. Then sing and do the actions together.
4
Identify the doctrine (memorizing an article of faith): Write the
third article of faith on the board and invite the children to
repeat it with you a few times. Briefly explain any words the
children do not understand. (For example, the Atonement is what
Jesus did to make it possible for us to repent and return to God.)
Erase one or two words and say it together again. Repeat to help
the children memorize it.
Encourage understanding (acting out a story): Tell the following
story and invite the children to stand and act it out with you. “A
man was walking along a road (walk in place). He fell into a deep
hole (sit down). He tried and tried but could not get out (pretend
to try to get out). He called for help (quietly call for help).
Another man was walking on the same road. He heard the man cry for
help (quietly cry for help again). He lowered
Weeks 2 and 3: Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all mankind
may be saved.
Encourage understanding (seeing pictures and reading scriptures):
Place pictures of the Last Supper, Christ in Gethsemane, the
Crucifixion, and the Resurrection around the room. Point to the
pictures and tell the children that these are events from the last
week of the Savior’s life. Tell the children you are going to read
a scripture that goes with one of the pictures. Ask them to
silently think about which picture
matches the scripture. Read Luke 22:13–14, 19–20. Have everyone
stand and face the matching picture. Discuss what is happening in
the picture. Repeat with the other pictures (Gethsemane: Luke
22:39–44; Crucifixion: Luke 23:33–34, 46; Resurrection: John
20:11–18). Sing a song such as “He Sent His Son” (CS, 34–35) or “To
Think about Jesus” (CS, 71). Testify that Jesus died for us so that
we can live with Heavenly Father again.
February Jesus Christ Is My Savior and Redeemer “For God so loved
the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (
John 3:16).
Supplement the ideas provided here with some of your own. Plan ways
to identify the doctrine for the children and help them understand
it and apply it in their lives. Ask yourself, “What will the
children do to learn, and how can I help them feel the
Spirit?”
Week 1: Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer.
Song: “He Sent His Son” (CS, 34–35)
Tip: Children will
understand doctrines better
something they already
lesson, review the doctrine
taught the previous week
being taught that day.
Learning through Movement
Children will learn better and remember longer when they are
engaged through
physical movement.
Helps for the music leader
Encourage understanding (seeing pictures and playing a guessing
game): Divide the children into groups and give each group a
picture of an event related to the Resurrection (for example, you
could use pictures of the Crucifixion, Christ’s burial, the empty
tomb, Mary and the resurrected Lord, and Jesus
showing His wounds to His disciples). Tell them not to let the
other groups see their picture. Have each group give a few clues to
help the other children guess what is happening in their picture.
When they guess correctly, show the picture to the other groups.
Explain that because Jesus Christ was resurrected, we will all be
resurrected.
To help the children learn “He Sent His Son” (CS, 34–35), consider
the following:
• As you sing, have the children count on their fingers how many
times they sing the words “He sent His Son” or have them stand
when
they sing the questions and sit down when they sing the
answers.
• Divide the children into two groups. Have half sing the questions
in the song and the other half respond by singing the
answers.
Week 4: Jesus Christ was resurrected, and I will be too.
a ladder down into the hole. The man climbed the ladder out of the
hole (pretend to climb up a ladder). The man was saved.” Discuss
how the man might have felt when he was in the hole and then when
he was rescued. Tell the children that when we do wrong or sin, it
is like falling into a deep hole that we cannot get out of by
ourselves. Show a picture of Jesus and tell the children that just
as someone helped the man out of the hole, Jesus Christ can help
and save us so that we can return to live with our Heavenly Father
again.
Encourage application (reading and discuss- ing a scripture):
Invite the children to read Alma 7:11–12 and look for what Jesus
has done for us. Ask a few children to share what they found. Tell
the children that Jesus understands when we feel hurt, sad, afraid,
or sick. He can help us overcome these things. Write the following
statements on the board:
I am grateful for the Savior because .
The Savior will help me to .
Invite a few children to share how they would finish these
sentences, or have all of the children share their answers with the
person sitting next to them.
Encourage understanding (reviewing scripture stories): Tell the
children that there are many stories in the scriptures of people
who were blessed because of the Atonement. Share a few of these
stories. Possible stories include Alma the Younger (see Alma
36:5–27), Paul (see Acts 8:1–3; 9:1–20), and Enos (see Enos 1:1–8).
After telling a story, review it with the children. Toss a crumpled
piece of paper to one child and ask him or her to say one thing
about the story. Have the child toss the paper back to you.
Continue until the children have mentioned most of the important
details from the story. Share your testimony about the
Atonement.
Children like to participate in learning. As you plan your sharing
times,
consider ways to include more children in the learning activities.
For example,
this activity involves a small group of children rather than one
or
two individuals.
letting them make simple
next learning moment by
For example, have the
and invite the children to
watch you as they sing.
The closer you move your
hands together, the softer
their reverence.
Identify the doctrine (unscrambling words): Write each of the
following words on separate strips of paper: Prophets, are, called,
by, God. Give the strips of paper to five children. Arrange the
children in front of the Primary so the words are out of order.
Invite other children to arrange the words in the correct order.
Repeat the sentence together.
Encourage understanding (reading scrip- tures): Prepare clues about
how Moses, Lehi, and Joseph Smith were called by God. For example,
the clues about Moses could be: “I was called by God as He spoke to
me from a burning bush”; “God called me to write the first five
books of the Bible”; and “God called me to lead His people out of
Egypt.” Choose three children to represent these prophets, and
invite them to give the clues to the Primary. Invite the children
to raise their hand when they think they know who the
prophet is. Have the children say the answer together. After they
have identified each prophet, read a scripture about that prophet
(Moses: Exodus 3:4–5; Lehi: 1 Nephi 1:5–6; Joseph Smith: Joseph
Smith—History 1:16–17). Point out that Moses was called by God,
Lehi was called by God, and Joseph Smith was called by God. Tell
the children that all prophets are called by God.
Encourage application (discussing and acting out ideas): Ask the
children, “Who is our prophet today?” Show a picture of the current
President of the Church. Explain that he was called by God. Have
the children discuss in class groups how they can follow the
current prophet. Invite a child from each class to come to the
front and act out one thing they discussed in their group. Invite
the other children to guess what the action is. Ask the child to
share how following the prophet in this way will bless his or her
life.
Week 2: Prophets testify of Jesus Christ.
March God Speaks through Prophets “He spake by the mouth of his
holy prophets, which have been since the world began” (Luke
1:70).
Supplement the ideas provided here with some of your own. Plan ways
to identify the doctrine for the children and help them understand
it and apply it in their lives. Ask yourself, “What will the
children do to learn, and how can I help them feel the
Spirit?”
Week 1: Prophets are called by God.
Song: “Follow the Prophet” (CS, 110–11)
Tip: The children will feel
the Spirit as they share
their understanding of
gospel principles. They
learned through their
6
Encourage understanding (seeing pictures and reading scriptures):
Before sharing time, place a picture of Jesus Christ on the board
and cover the picture with pictures of the following
prophets: Isaiah, John the Baptist, Nephi, and Joseph Smith. Assign
one of the following scriptures to each class: Isaiah 9:6; Mark
1:6–8; 2 Nephi 25:26; Doctrine and Covenants 76:20–24.
Identifying Doctrines
When you do an activity, clearly identify the doctrine you are
teaching. This helps
the children understand and apply it better.
Click here for wordstrips.
Week 3: There is safety in following the prophet.
Encourage understanding (participating in a physical activity):
Show a picture of Moses, and explain that Moses was a prophet who
led his people to safety. Explain that the Israelites were in
bondage to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and the Lord told Moses to
lead them out of Egypt (see Exodus 3:10). Tell the story from
Exodus 14, and invite the children to act it out with you. For
example: “The people followed Moses across the desert (walk in
place). They came to the sea (make waves with arms). The people
looked back (look back) and saw Pharaoh and his army
following
them (make sound of running horses by slapping hands on legs). They
were afraid (show fear).” Read Exodus 14:13, and then continue with
the story. “The Lord told Moses to lift up his rod (pretend to lift
up a rod), and the sea parted (spread arms apart). The people
followed Moses safely through the sea on dry ground to the other
side (walk in place). When Pharaoh’s army tried to follow them, the
Lord told Moses to stretch out his hand, and the waters came back
together (bring arms together). Pharaoh’s army drowned in the sea.
The people were safe because they followed the prophet.”
Week 4: God speaks through prophets.
Consider reviewing the doctrines the children have learned this
month during sharing time. For example, you could:
• Repeat or expand some of the activities done in previous sharing
times.
• Show the children a picture of today’s prophet and say, “If you
know who this is, raise your
hand.” Ask the children to whisper his name to their neighbor.
Invite several children to share how they feel about the
prophet.
• Sing the chorus of “Follow the Prophet” (CS, 110–11) while the
children act out things they will do to follow the prophet.
Have the children read the scripture with their class and identify
which prophet is testifying and what he testifies about Jesus
Christ. Have one class point to the picture of the prophet they
read about and share with the Primary what they learned.
Take the picture of the prophet off the board. Repeat with the
other three prophets. Point to the picture of Christ and tell the
children that all prophets testify of Jesus Christ.
What will the children do to learn? Asking this question as
you
prepare activities will help the children learn through
participation.
For example, in this picture children are acting out the story of
Moses parting the Red Sea.
Tip: Having children read
from their own scriptures
the children to look up at
least one of the references
with you. You can help the
children find the reference
and pointing to the verse in
your scriptures. Consider
used the following teaching
techniques in other lessons.
7
8
Encourage understanding (reading and discussing a scripture): Write
power of God on the board using a code (for example, you could
replace each letter with a symbol). Ask if anyone can read the
message. Write a key on the board that shows which letters the
symbols replaced, and have the children work in groups to decode
the message. (Remind the children not to call
out the answer.) Read the phrase together. Read Doctrine and
Covenants 1:29. Explain that Joseph Smith could not read the
writing on the gold plates without the help of the Lord. Invite the
children to share what they know about how Joseph Smith was able to
translate the Book of Mormon. Invite several children to share how
they feel about the Book of Mormon.
Week 2: Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon by the power of
God.
Identify the doctrine (reading scriptures): Tell the children that
Jesus Christ established His Church when He was living on the
earth. Today we call that church the “Primitive Church.” Explain
that not long after Jesus died, His gospel was taken from the
earth, and many years later He restored the gospel through Joseph
Smith. Prepare four wordstrips, each with one of the following
sentences:
1. Joseph Smith read in the Bible, “If any of you , let him ask of
God.” ( Joseph Smith—History 1:11)
2. Joseph Smith went to the to . ( Joseph Smith—History 1:14)
3. Joseph saw a pillar of over his head. ( Joseph Smith—History
1:16)
4. Heavenly Father pointed to Jesus Christ and said, “This is My .”
( Joseph Smith—History 1:17)
Divide the children into four groups, and give a wordstrip to each
group. Invite them to read the scripture to find the missing words.
Have them whisper the answer to one another instead of filling in
the blanks on the paper. Have the children pass their wordstrip to
another group, and repeat until each group has found all the
answers. (Answers: 1. lack wisdom; 2. woods, pray; 3. light; 4.
Beloved Son)
Encourage understanding: Consider using the activities, visuals,
and finger puppets from the nursery manual, Behold Your Little
Ones, to help the children understand that Heavenly Father and
Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith (see pages 88–91).
April Jesus Christ Restored the Fulness of the Gospel through
Joseph Smith “We believe in the same organization that existed in
the Primitive Church” (Articles of Faith 1:6).
Supplement the ideas provided here with some of your own. Plan ways
to identify the doctrine for the children and help them understand
it and apply it in their lives. Ask yourself, “What will the
children do to learn, and how can I help them feel the
Spirit?”
Week 1: Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph
Smith.
Song: “The Church of Jesus Christ” (CS, 77)
Identifying Doctrines Clearly identify the doctrine you are
teaching. This helps the children understand and apply it better.
Consider ways to have the children
see the words of the doctrine and commit them to memory.
Tip: Dividing into groups
to participate. Consider the
Helps for the music leader
Weeks 3 and 4: Jesus Christ restored the gospel through Joseph
Smith.
To help the children learn “The Church of Jesus Christ” (CS, 77),
consider the following:
• Ask the children to stand if they belong to a family. Repeat for
other groups they might belong to, such as a team, a club, and a
church. Let the children explain what belonging means
(that you are an important part of something). Introduce the song
by showing a picture of Jesus Christ and having the children read
together Doctrine and Covenants 115:4.
• Introduce each phrase of the song by having the children listen
for the answer to a question while you sing the phrase to them.
(For example: What do I belong to? What two things do I know? How
will I follow Him?) Then have the children sing the phrase with
you. Continue until the children have learned the entire
song.
• Divide the Primary into two groups and have one group sing only
the first two words of each phrase (I belong, I know, and so on),
and have the other group complete the phrase. Change
groups and repeat.
Consider using a drawing similar to this one in this activity. If
your Primary is large, consider having the children complete this
activity
in small groups.
Tip: Heavenly Father
dramatization.
remember what they’ve
quickly through music . . .
OrdinancesRev ela
tio n
S cr
ip tu
re s
Identify the doctrine and encourage understanding (assembling a
puzzle): Remind the children that not long after Jesus died, His
gospel was taken from the earth and He later restored the gospel
through Joseph Smith. Explain that to restore means to put back
together again. Draw a simple picture of a church labeled as shown
(see Ephesians 2:20; 4:11–13). Explain that when Christ was on the
earth He established His Church. Cut the picture into pieces as you
teach them about the Apostasy. Have the children assemble (restore)
the picture as they listen to the pianist play
“On a Golden Springtime” (CS, 88). Sing the third verse
together.
Encourage understanding (listening to guest speakers): Invite some
ward members to come to Primary and portray people who participated
in the Restoration (such as Joseph Smith [see Joseph Smith—History
1:8–20], the angel Moroni [see Joseph Smith—History 1:29–35,
42–49], the Three Witnesses [see “The Testimony of Three
Witnesses”], or John the Baptist [see D&C 13]). They may want
to wear simple costumes. Divide the children into groups. Invite
the visitors to announce who they are and have the children tell
what they know about them. Have the visitors share their
testimonies of the people they are depicting.
Click here for drawing.
10
Encourage understanding and application (discussing case studies):
Explain that because of Jesus Christ, when we do something wrong we
can repent, which means we stop sinning and turn to God. Explain
that repentance includes feeling sorry, asking for forgiveness,
righting the wrong, and not repeating the wrong. Briefly discuss
these steps, emphasizing how the Savior
can help us. Divide the children into groups and give each group a
case study. Have them read the case study and discuss what they
would do to repent. For example, someone gets angry and hits his
brother or sister. What should he do? Express gratitude for the
opportunity Jesus Christ has given us to repent.
Week 2: I can repent.
Identify the doctrine (learning an article of faith): Place a
picture of Jesus Christ on the board. Draw a staircase with four
steps leading up to the picture. Say together the fourth article of
faith, and invite the children to name the first principles and
ordinances of the gospel as you write them on the appropriate
steps. Count on your fingers as you say each principle and
ordinance. Consider ways to help the children memorize the fourth
article of faith.
Encourage understanding (singing a song): Sing “Faith” (CS, 96–97).
Make a wordstrip for each sentence in the second verse. Divide the
children into four groups and give each group a wordstrip. Have
each group stand and sing their line at the appropriate place in
the song. Have the groups exchange wordstrips, and repeat until
each group has sung each line. Invite the children to act out ways
they can obey. (This could be done in their groups or with the
whole Primary.) Share with the children an experience that has
strengthened your faith in Jesus Christ.
May Principles and Ordinances of the Gospel Lead Me to Jesus Christ
“We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel
are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance;
third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth,
Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Articles of
Faith 1:4).
Supplement the ideas provided here with some of your own. Plan ways
to identify the doctrine for the children and help them understand
it and apply it in their lives. Ask yourself, “What will the
children do to learn, and how can I help them feel the
Spirit?”
Week 1: My faith in Jesus Christ is strengthened when I obey.
Song of your choice from the Children’s Songbook
Use the Chalkboard A chalkboard can be an
effective teaching tool. Use simple line drawings to help
teach
gospel principles.
gives more children the
for small group activities.
Class teachers can help
11
Week 4: When I am confirmed I receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost.
Identify the doctrine (learning about promises): To demonstrate
what a promise is, invite two children to the front. Have the first
child say, “I promise to (lend you my book) if you will promise to
(return it).” Have the second child agree and link arms with the
first child. Explain that a covenant is a two- way promise between
us and God. Write on one side of the board “God Promises” and on
the other side “We Promise.” Explain that when we are baptized, we
make promises to God and He makes promises to us.
Encourage understanding (singing songs): Prepare in advance
separate pieces of paper with the following promises and songs:
Take upon us the name of Jesus Christ (“The Church of Jesus
Christ” [CS, 77]); Always remember Him (“To Think about Jesus” [CS,
71]); Keep the command- ments (“Keep the Commandments” [CS,
146–47]); Have His Spirit to be with us (“The Holy Ghost” [CS,
105]); Return to live with Him (“I Am a Child of God,” verse 3 [CS,
2–3]). Put the pieces of paper into a container. Have a child draw
out one paper and read the promise. Ask the children, “Who is
making the promise, God or us?” Write the promise on the board
under the correct heading. Have the children sing the song and pass
the container until the song ends. Have the child hold- ing the
container when the song ends draw out another paper. Repeat with
each of the songs. Review the promises and testify of the
importance of the baptismal covenant.
Identify the doctrine (seeing a picture and singing a song): Show a
picture of a child being confirmed and ask the children what is
happening. Ask, “What is the gift of the Holy Ghost?” Emphasize
that the gift of the Holy Ghost is the right to the constant
companionship of the Holy Ghost. Sing “The Holy Ghost” (CS,
105).
Encourage understanding (asking questions): Invite a Melchizedek
Priesthood holder to come
to Primary. Give several children questions to ask him, such as:
What priesthood do you hold? How did you receive the priesthood?
How do you confirm someone a member of the Church? What does
“laying on of hands” mean? What does it mean to “receive the Holy
Ghost”? How can the Holy Ghost help me? Invite children to share
their experiences of how the Holy Ghost has helped them.
Week 3: When I am baptized I make a covenant with God.
Children as Visuals
get their attention and prepare them to learn.
For example, this sharing time begins with children
demonstrating the concept of a promise.
Tip: When children share
their feelings about the
Help the children
understand that the
the sharing time in week 4
should be on the children
sharing how the Holy
Ghost has helped them.
reverent atmosphere so this
12
Identify the doctrine (learning to listen): In a quiet voice say,
“Everyone who can hear my voice, put your finger on your nose.
Everyone who can hear my voice, put your hand on your head.”
Continue, designating other parts of the body, until all the
children are listening to your quiet voice. You could end by asking
them to fold their arms. Point out that even though you were
speaking quietly, when the children listened, they could hear your
voice and obey your instructions. Explain that the Holy Ghost
speaks to us in a quiet or still, small voice.
Encourage understanding (participating in a physical activity):
Blindfold a child and lead him or her to a different place in the
room. Tell the
child, “If you trust me and listen to me, I will guide you back to
your seat.” With a soft voice give the child directions to get
safely back to his or her seat. Ask, “How is this like the way the
Holy Ghost guides us?” Show how the Holy Ghost can be likened to
the Liahona by sharing the story of Nephi’s broken bow (see 1 Nephi
16:18–32). Consider using actions as demon- strated in other
lessons in this outline (see March, week 3, or August, week 4).
Explain that just as the Liahona directed the people according to
their faith and diligence, the Holy Ghost will direct us according
to our righteousness when we listen for His voice.
Week 2: The Holy Ghost speaks in a still, small voice.
Identify the doctrine (memorizing an article of faith): Help the
children memorize the first article of faith by dividing them into
three groups. Point to a group and have them say, “We believe in
God, the Eternal Father.” Point to another group and have them say,
“And in His Son, Jesus Christ.” Point to the third group and have
them say, “And in the Holy Ghost.” Repeat, giving each group a turn
to say each phrase. (You may want to have younger children hold up
fingers for each phrase.) Explain that Heavenly Father, Jesus
Christ, and the Holy Ghost are the three members of the Godhead.
Tell the children that the Holy Ghost is a spirit, without a body
of flesh and bones.
Encourage understanding and application (reading scriptures and
sharing experiences): Invite the children to open their scriptures
and read Doctrine and Covenants 130:22 together. Ask them to listen
for why the Holy Ghost does
not have a body. Read Doctrine and Covenants 8:2. Have the children
point to their heads when you say “mind” and to their hearts when
you say “heart.” Share examples of how the Holy Ghost might speak
to your mind and your heart (see Galatians 5:22). Consider having
children share times when they have felt the influence of the Holy
Ghost.
Encourage understanding and application (discussing roles of the
Holy Ghost): Divide the children into five groups. Give each group
one of the following scripture references, and have them identify
how the Holy Ghost helps us: John 14:26 (comforts and teaches); 2
Nephi 32:5 (tells us what we should do); Mosiah 5:2 (changes our
hearts); Moroni 8:26 (fills us with hope and love); Doctrine and
Covenants 20:27 (testifies of Christ). Invite each group to tell
the rest of the Primary what they learned.
June The Holy Ghost Testifies of the Truth of All Things “By the
power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things”
(Moroni 10:5).
Supplement the ideas provided here with some of your own. Plan ways
to identify the doctrine for the children and help them understand
it and apply it in their lives. Ask yourself, “What will the
children do to learn, and how can I help them feel the
Spirit?”
Week 1: The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead.
Song: “The Holy Ghost” (CS, 105)
Tip: It is important for
children to learn gospel
truths from the scriptures.
listen when scriptures are
read. Even young children
word or two as you read
a verse.
13
Week 4: By the power of the Holy Ghost, we may know the truth of
all things.
Encourage understanding (listening to stories): Invite some ward
members to share stories about how the Holy Ghost guides or
protects us. They could share a personal experience or a story from
the scriptures or Church history (for example, see Teachings of
Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff [2004], 46–47). Divide
the children into groups and rotate either the groups or the
storytellers until each group has heard all the stories. Have the
children hum “The Holy Ghost” (CS, 105) while they rotate among
storytellers.
Encourage understanding and application (chalkboard activity):
Divide the chalkboard into two columns. Write “Important decisions”
at the top of one column and “Invite the Holy Ghost” at the top of
the other. Have the children fill in the first column by listing
important decisions they will make throughout life. Then have them
fill in the second column with what they will do to invite the Holy
Ghost into their life so they can receive help in making these
decisions.
Week 3: The Holy Ghost can guide and protect us.
Adapting Lessons Adapt lessons for the
children’s ages. Consider using ideas and activities
from other approved Church materials, such as the nursery manual
and Church magazines.
Use the Chalkboard Chalkboards are effective teaching
tools. They can be used to greet the children, ask a question,
identify
a doctrine, record ideas, and illustrate stories or concepts
(see TNGC, 162–63).
Spirit is by giving children
opportunities to share what
truths of the gospel.
them these opportunities in
each sharing time lesson.
I H G
Pray Come to church Read the scriptures
Encourage understanding and application (playing a game or sharing
experiences): Read Moroni 10:5 together, and testify that the Holy
Ghost will help us learn the truth. Tell the children that
sometimes they may get a warm, peaceful feeling while at church,
while doing acts of kindness, or as they pray and read the
scriptures. Explain that this peaceful feeling is the Holy Ghost
letting them know that these things are true and right. Divide the
children into class groups, and have each group do one of the
following activities: (1) Play the cube game from the nursery
manual, Behold
Your Little Ones (see pages 29, 31). (2) Share experiences of how
the Holy Ghost has helped them. (You may want to invite a teacher
in each group to share an experience first.)
14
Encourage understanding (seeing and discussing pictures): Show the
children a pair of leather sandals (or a picture in which Jesus is
wearing sandals). Explain that Jesus, wearing shoes like these,
went about doing good. Write the following on the board: “He went
about doing good, for God was with him” (see Acts 10:38). Have the
children repeat this phrase with you. Display pictures depicting
the following events around the room: Jesus blessing the children
(see 3 Nephi 17:21–24), Jesus
healing the blind man (see John 9:1–17), Jesus raising Jairus’s
daughter from the dead (see Matthew 9:18–19, 23–25), and Jesus
feeding the 5,000 (see John 6:5–14). Ask the children to pretend to
put on sandals, and have them walk to a picture. Invite several
children to describe what Jesus is doing in the picture. Invite
them to repeat the phrase “He went about doing good, for God was
with him” before walking to the next picture. Repeat with each
picture.
Week 2: Jesus Christ went about doing good.
Identify the doctrine (reading scriptures): Prepare five pieces of
paper with one of the following words on one side and the corre-
sponding scripture reference on the back: Not (Moses 4:2); my will
(Luke 22:42); but (3 Nephi 27:13); thine ( John 6:38); be done (
John 4:34). Divide the children into five groups, and give each
group one of the pieces of paper. Explain that all of these
scriptures tell a similar message about how Jesus Christ lived His
life. Invite the teachers to help the children understand the
message of their scripture. Have each group
report what they learned as they place their paper on the board.
Invite them to help you arrange the words in the correct order and
then read the sentence together.
Encourage application (making a paper chain): Let the children
suggest ways they can follow Jesus Christ’s example of obeying
Heavenly Father’s commandments. Have each child write or draw one
idea on a strip of paper. Connect the strips to form a paper chain.
Point out that just as the chain grew with each act of obedience,
our faith will grow each time we obey.
July I Can Follow Jesus Christ’s Example Jesus said, “Come, follow
me” (Luke 18:22).
Supplement the ideas provided here with some of your own. Plan ways
to identify the doctrine for the children and help them understand
it and apply it in their lives. Ask yourself, “What will the
children do to learn, and how can I help them feel the
Spirit?”
Week 1: Jesus Christ always obeyed Heavenly Father.
Song: “Come, Follow Me” (Hymns, no. 116)
Identifying Doctrines
When you do an activity, clearly identify the doctrine you are
teaching. This helps the children understand and
apply it better.
Tip: Movement during
Primary. For example, a
week 2.
week 2, the children
identify the doctrine, see
activity related to the
Helps for the music leader
Encourage understanding (reading scriptures and singing songs): On
the board write two lists in random order—one list of scriptures in
which Jesus sets an example for us to follow and one of songs
related to these scriptures. Divide the children into groups. Give
each group a picture showing one of the scriptural events you have
listed. Tell each group to match their picture to both a scripture
and a song from the board. Have one group at a time show their
picture, explain the example Jesus set, and lead the rest of the
Primary in singing the song. Consider using the following:
• Boy Jesus in the Temple, Luke 2:42–49, “Seek the Lord Early” (CS,
108)
• John the Baptist Baptizing Jesus, Matthew 3:13–17, “Baptism” (CS,
100–101)
• Go Ye Therefore, Matthew 28:19–20, “We’ll Bring the World His
Truth” (CS, 172–73)
• Jesus Healing the Nephites, 3 Nephi 17:7–9, “I’ll Walk with You”
(CS, 140–41)
Testify that Jesus Christ is the only perfect example for us to
follow.
Encourage understanding (reading a scripture): Cut a heart out of a
piece of paper and write on it Love one another. Place it in your
scriptures at John 13:34. Invite a child to look through your
scriptures to find the heart. Explain that in this scripture Jesus
teaches how He wants us to treat others. Have the children find
John 13:34 in their own scriptures, and read it
together. Consider giving each child a paper heart with the
scripture on it to put in their
own scriptures and inviting them to share this activity with
their family.
Encourage application (singing a song and sharing thoughts): Have
the children form one or more circles. (If space is not available,
have one row of children turn to face another row.) Give each group
a string with the ends tied together, threaded through a button.
While singing “Love One Another” (CS, 136), have the children slide
the button along the string. Stop the music randomly and ask the
child (or children) holding the button to share one way they could
show love to others. Conclude by inviting several children to share
a time when others have shown love for them.
To help the children learn “Come, Follow Me” (Hymns, no. 116),
consider the following:
• Encourage the children to follow you as you touch your nose,
shake your hands, and fold your arms. Tell them that we can follow
Jesus by doing the things He did. Have them tap the rhythm of the
song with two fingers of
one hand against the palm of the other hand as the music
plays.
• Prepare footprints with the words of the song written on them.
Invite the children to place the footsteps on the board one at a
time as you sing and they echo each phrase. Arrange the footsteps
so that they lead to a picture of the Savior.
Weeks 3 and 4: Jesus Christ’s example teaches me how to live.
Music leaders can engage children in learning the doctrine of the
song as the children make a connection between the words, the
music, and visuals. In following weeks,
the children could remove footsteps until they have learned the
song.
“Come follow me,” Then let us in For thus alone With
God’s own loved,
Click here for footsteps.
16
Encourage understanding (drawing pictures): Divide the children
into groups. Ask a teacher in each group to read or tell a
scripture story in which Jesus heals someone, such as two blind men
(Matthew 9:27–31), an invalid ( John 5:1–9), the ten lepers (Luke
17:12–19), or the nobleman’s son ( John 4:46–53). Invite the
children to draw pictures to illustrate the story.
You may ask a few children to share their pictures and stories with
the whole Primary. As they share their story, invite them to
imagine how the people Jesus healed may have felt. Invite the
children to share their pictures with their families at home.
Week 2: Jesus Christ can heal the sick.
Identify the doctrine (playing a guessing game): Draw eight small
lines on the board, one for each letter of the word miracles. Ask
the children to guess what the word is. Fill in the first letter
and ask children to guess what the word is again. Fill in the
second letter and ask them to guess what the word is. Repeat with
each successive letter until they guess the word. Tell the children
that a miracle is an ex- traordinary event caused by the power of
God. Divide the children in groups. Give each group a set of the
following wordstrips: miracles, show, that, Jesus Christ, has,
power, over, the earth.
Have each group unscramble the words. (Click here for
wordstrips.)
Encourage understanding (listening to scripture stories): In your
own words, share the stories of Jesus calming the storm (Mark
4:36–39) and filling the nets with fish (Luke 5:1–11). Invite the
children to do actions that go along with the stories (such as
mimicking the wind and the waves of the water and pulling in empty
and full nets). With each story testify how it shows that Jesus
Christ has power over the earth. Have the children discuss how
these miracles helped people in need.
August Jesus Christ Is the Son of God, and He Is a God of Miracles
“For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; . . . and I work
not among the children of men save it be according to their faith”
(2 Nephi 27:23).
Supplement the ideas provided here with some of your own. Plan ways
to identify the doctrine for the children and help them understand
it and apply it in their lives. Ask yourself, “What will the
children do to learn, and how can I help them feel the
Spirit?”
Week 1: Jesus Christ is a God of miracles.
Song of your choice from the Children’s Songbook
Working in Small Groups
engaged in learning. In sharing time, children
already sit in class groups. These groups could be used for small
group activities.
Tip: Children learn by
doing. Invite the children
story. Practice the actions
with the children before
allow the children to listen
and focus as the story is
being told.
Week 4: Miracles come to those who have faith.
Encourage understanding (hearing scripture stories): Invite some
ward members to come to Primary and briefly tell the following
stories as though they were witnesses to the events: the raising of
Lazarus ( John 11:1–45); the raising of Jairus’s daughter (Mark
5:21–24, 35–43); the
raising of the widow’s son (Luke 7:11–16); and the Resurrection (
John 20:1–18). The ward members could wear simple costumes, such as
a head scarf or robe. Encourage them to testify that Jesus Christ
has power over death and that each of us will be resurrected.
Identify the doctrine (reading a scripture): Write on the board
Doctrine and Covenants 63:9: “But, behold, faith cometh not by
signs, but signs follow those that believe.” Explain that the word
signs in this scripture can also mean miracles. Have the children
stand and read the scripture aloud together. Point out the word
faith. Explain that miracles are not always dramatic events and
that we must first have faith, and then we will recognize miracles
in our lives. Also explain that even though we have faith, we will
still experience sorrow, pain, and suffering, but God is aware of
our needs and will care for us.
Encourage understanding (listening to scripture stories): Tell in
your own words the story of Moses asking Pharaoh to let God’s
people go out of Egypt (Exodus 7–10). Before beginning the story,
invite the children to practice making sounds or actions to go with
some of the plagues. For example, the children could move their
arms and make a sound like a river, scratch all over to represent
lice, moo like a cow, or moan to
represent the boils. Have the children listen closely as you tell
the story. Tell them that when you raise your hand they can make
the sound or movement to represent the plague you are telling
about, and when you lower your hand they should stop. After you
tell about each plague, tell the children that Pharaoh still
refused to let the people go. Pharaoh saw many miracles and signs,
but he would not believe in God. Contrast this story with an
example where faith produced a miracle (for example, Elijah and the
widow of Zarephath, Daniel and the lions, the brother of Jared, or
Nephi and Lehi in prison). If time allows, let the children come up
with actions that go along with the story.
Encourage application (listening to guest speakers): Invite one or
two families in the ward to share how miracles have blessed them
when they have had faith in Jesus Christ. (Ask the families well in
advance so they have time to prepare.) Testify that as we have
faith, we will see miracles in our lives.
Week 3: Jesus Christ has power over death.
Encourage Understanding As children act out scripture stories, they
are able
to remember and understand them better.
Tip: When children share
with others, it strengthens
encouraged to share what
This will provide opportu-
nities for gospel discus-
strengthen the family.
18
Identify the doctrine (memorizing a scripture): To help the
children memorize John 14:15, draw a picture of a heart and a
picture depicting the Ten Commandments. Divide the children into
two groups. Hold up the picture of the heart in front of one group
and have them stand and say, “If ye love me.” Hold up the picture
of the Ten Commandments in front of the other group and have them
stand and say, “Keep my commandments.” Repeat several times. Older
children could learn the first part of John 14:21 (“He that hath my
commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me”) in the
same way.
Encourage understanding (acting out commandments): Prepare pieces
of paper with a commandment written on each one (such as read the
scriptures, dress modestly, and obey the Word of Wisdom). Put the
papers in a container, and have a child choose one and act out a
way to keep the commandment. Have the other children
guess what he or she is doing. Sing “Keep the Commandments” (CS,
146–47). As you sing the chorus, have the child lead the other
children in acting out how they can keep the commandment. Invite
several children to share how keeping this commandment will bless
them.
Encourage application (reading and discuss- ing scriptures):
Display “My Gospel Standards” and review the standards with the
children. Explain that following these standards shows our love for
Jesus Christ. Write each of the following scripture references on
separate pieces of paper: Exodus 20:7; Exodus 20:8–10; Exodus
20:12; John 13:34–35; Mosiah 18:10; and Doctrine and Covenants
42:40–41. Divide the children into groups and give each group one
of the scriptures to read together. Have them match the scripture
to one of the gospel standards and discuss how they can live that
standard. Invite them to share their thoughts with the rest of the
Primary children.
September I Obey Jesus Christ Because I Love Him “If ye love me,
keep my commandments” ( John 14:15).
Supplement the ideas provided here with some of your own. Plan ways
to identify the doctrine for the children and help them understand
it and apply it in their lives. Ask yourself, “What will the
children do to learn, and how can I help them feel the
Spirit?”
Weeks 1 and 2: I show love for Jesus Christ when I keep the
commandments.
Memorizing Scriptures
children memorize.
Tip: Memorizing
of comfort and guidance
(see TNGC, 171). In
help the children memorize
19
Encourage understanding (drawing pictures): Tell the story of
Christ healing and blessing the people in 3 Nephi 17:7, 9–12,
20–24, or invite older children to read it from the scriptures.
Have the children draw a picture depicting something from the
story. Testify of how your love for Jesus Christ has grown as you
have read the scriptures.
Encourage application (singing a song and discussing scriptures):
Sing “Seek the Lord
Early” (CS, 108). Tell the children that they can learn more about
Jesus Christ by reading or listening to the scriptures. Then tell
the story found in Mark 10:13–16 of Jesus blessing the children.
Show a picture of Jesus blessing the little children. Have the
children imagine how they would have felt if they had been there.
Invite a few children to share their thoughts. Explain that they
can feel close to the Savior by reading about Him in the
scriptures.
Week 4: My love for Jesus Christ grows when I study the
scriptures.
Encourage understanding (reading and discussing scriptures): Divide
the children into small groups. Have each group read and discuss
the following scriptures, looking for what the Savior teaches about
prayer: 3 Nephi 18:19–20; Doctrine and Covenants 19:28, 38;
88:63–64. Emphasize that the Savior teaches us to pray to Heavenly
Father in His name and that this helps us feel closer to Him.
Encourage understanding (coloring a picture): Make a copy for each
child of the illustration on page 19 of the nursery manual, Behold
Your Little Ones. Let the children color the illustration and take
it home to share with their families.
Encourage understanding and application (discussing prayer): Sing a
song about prayer
from the Children’s Songbook, such as “A Child’s Prayer” (CS,
12–13) or “We Bow Our Heads” (CS, 25). Talk to the children about
how your love for the Lord grows when you pray. On the board make a
chart with four columns. At the top of the first column, write Our
Heavenly Father. At the top of the second column, write Thank Him
for blessings. At the top of the third column, write Ask Him for
blessings. At the top of the last column, write In the name of
Jesus Christ, amen. Ask the children to list in their class groups
several blessings they are thankful for. Then ask each group to
name one blessing they are thankful for as you write that blessing
in column 2. Next ask the children to discuss in their class groups
blessings they could ask Heavenly Father for, and write their
answers in column 3. Review the parts of prayer.
Week 3: My love for Jesus Christ grows when I pray.
Coloring Activities
Not all children enjoy coloring. Some may make only a mark or
two on the page. The purpose of the coloring activities is to
give
the children a visual representation of the lesson that they
can
hold and take home.
Tip: When children share
doctrine, it confirms the
message in their hearts
and invites the Spirit.
doctrine, give the children
an opportunity to share
their lives.
and younger children. For
first activity would work
better with older children
and the second activity
would work better with
20
Identify the doctrine (reading scriptures): Place a picture of a
full-time missionary on the board. Tell the children that they will
read some scriptures about missionary work. Assign half of the
children to read Matthew 28:19–20 and the other half to read
Doctrine and Covenants 133:37. Invite them to identify what they
learn about missionary work from the scriptures, and discuss it
with the whole Primary. Ask children who have a family member
currently serving a mission to share their feelings about
missionary work.
Encourage understanding and application (discussing missionary
work): Have the children stand and sing “I Hope They Call Me on a
Mission” (CS, 169). Tell the children that Heavenly Father wants
the gospel to be preached in all the world and they can prepare now
to be missionaries. In a container, place objects that will remind
the children of ways they can prepare to serve a mission, such as
scriptures, Sunday shoes, a tithing slip, and a paper heart. Have a
child choose an object from the container and share how doing what
it represents can help them prepare to be missionaries.
Week 2: Sharing the gospel helps others come unto Christ.
Identify the doctrine (reading a scripture and seeing pictures):
Have the children stand and read Doctrine and Covenants 1:38 out
loud together. Explain that prophets are servants of Jesus Christ.
Show pictures of the Savior and the current prophet, and tell the
children that when we follow the prophet we follow Jesus
Christ.
Encourage application (singing a song): Sing verse 9 of “Follow the
Prophet” (CS, 110–11).
Divide the children into groups and have them choose one or two
things they learned from the living prophets and apostles during
general conference. Have one group act out what they learned. Have
the other children guess what they are doing. Repeat with each
group, singing the chorus of “Follow the Prophet” between each
group’s turn.
October The Mission of the Church Is to Invite All to Come unto
Christ “Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him” (Moroni
10:32).
Supplement the ideas provided here with some of your own. Plan ways
to identify the doctrine for the children and help them understand
it and apply it in their lives. Ask yourself, “What will the
children do to learn, and how can I help them feel the
Spirit?”
Week 1: Following the prophet will help us come unto Christ.
Learning through Repetition
Children learn through repetition and challenge. Here the children
repeat the scripture and are challenged to place
the words in order.
Tip: Children will learn
a missionary instead of
Click here for wordstrips.
21
Week 4: Temple work helps me and my family come unto Christ.
Identify the doctrine (reading a scripture): Display a picture of
Jesus Christ on the board. Help the children memorize “Yea, come
unto Christ, and be perfected in him” (Moroni 10:32). Write each
word of the scripture on a separate piece of paper. Post the pieces
of paper in random order on the board. Invite the children to look
up the scripture and read it with you. Have a child find the first
word of the scripture and put it in order on the board. Read the
scripture again, and invite another child to find the next word.
Repeat until the words are in order. Explain to the children that
to come unto Christ means to have faith in Him, to keep His
commandments, to make covenants, and to repent when we make
mistakes.
Encourage understanding and application (discussing case studies):
Explain that because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can
repent when we make a mistake. Cut four footsteps out of paper, and
on each footstep write one of the parts of repentance: (1) feel
sorry, (2) ask forgive- ness, (3) right the wrong, and (4) don’t
repeat the wrong. Place the footsteps on the floor leading to a
picture of Jesus Christ, and let a few children follow them. Divide
the children into groups and give each group a case study
describing something a child might need to repent of. For example,
“Someone disobeys her parents by kicking a ball in the house, and
she breaks something.” Ask them to discuss how they should apply
each of the steps of repentance.
Encourage understanding (singing a song): Teach the second verse of
“I Love to See the Temple” (CS, 95). Display a picture of a temple
hidden behind eight pieces of paper. On each piece of paper, write
or draw one of the following: a heart, an open door, the word
covenant, the word obey, the words holy place, the word sealed, a
picture of a child, and a picture of a family. Tell the children
that these are clues to a song. Invite them to listen carefully as
you sing one line of the song. Ask them which clue goes with that
line, and invite a child to remove that piece of paper. Sing the
line again with the children, and explain what it means. You may
invite them to do an action related to the line. Repeat with each
line of the song. When you have uncovered the picture, sing the
entire song with the actions. Tell the
children that they can prepare now to be worthy to go to the temple
when they are older and that doing so will bring them closer to
Jesus Christ.
Week 3: We come unto Christ by repenting when we make a
mistake.
Encourage Application Children learn when they show how they
can
apply gospel principles in their lives.
Tip: “As we show love for
those we teach, they [and
we] become more receptive
and concerns, call them
by name, and listen
do in similar situations
apply gospel principles
22
Encourage understanding (participating in a dramatization): Tell
the children that one day a man asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
Jesus answered him by telling a story that teaches us how to serve
others. Invite a few children to dress up in simple costumes to
portray characters from the parable of the good Samaritan: a
traveler, some thieves, a priest, a Levite, a Samaritan, and an
innkeeper. Tell the story in your own words (see Luke 10:30–37) and
then help the children act it out. Ask the children: “What does
this story teach us about who our neighbors are? Whom should we
serve?” Point out that our neighbors can be anyone in need. Explain
to the children that they can serve their friends and family
members all the time, but they should serve people they do not know
only if they are with a parent or another trusted adult. Testify
that Jesus Christ loves everyone and wants us to serve
everyone.
Encourage application (planning service for family): Tell the
children that Jesus wants us to serve others, including members of
our families. Cut out small paper circles and give a few to each
child. Have them draw a smiling face on each one to make “Service
Smiles.” Encourage the children to perform small acts of service
for members of their family during the next week. Brainstorm
together tasks they could do (such as leave a kind note, pick up
toys, or make a bed). Have the children leave a “Service Smile”
where the act of service was performed. Invite them to ask their
families to participate in this activity with them. Encourage the
children to be ready to share with the Primary next week how their
service helped bring smiles to their families.
November When We Serve Others, We Serve God “When ye are in the
service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your
God” (Mosiah 2:17).
Supplement the ideas provided here with some of your own. Plan ways
to identify the doctrine for the children and help them understand
it and apply it in their lives. Ask yourself, “What will the
children do to learn, and how can I help them feel the
Spirit?”
Weeks 1 and 2: Jesus Christ taught us how to serve others.
Visualizing Scripture Stories
Simple costumes made of everyday things will help the children
visualize
this scripture story.
Tip: Some scripture
to the age of the children.
As you teach the story of
the good Samaritan in
important to explain that
for help, the child must
first enlist the help of
a trusted adult.
will help accomplish
Faith in God guidebooks.
“That they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus
Christ,
whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3
FAITH IN GOD f o r B o y s
FAITH IN GOD
the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom thou hast sent.”
23
Encourage understanding (seeing examples of service opportunities):
Have a Primary leader come into the room acting overwhelmed and
obviously in need of help. For example, she might be dropping
things, trying to carry too much, or calming a baby. Have the
children suggest ways they could use their “helping hands” to help
her. Remind the children that in the story of the good Samaritan,
Jesus taught us to serve others. Show pictures of children who need
help. Consider using pictures from the Primary manual picture
packets. Invite children to share how they could help in these
situations. Repeat the first half of Mosiah 2:17, and have the
children repeat the second half.
Encourage understanding (planning service for neighbors): Have the
children trace their hands on a piece of paper and write on their
“helping hands” a way their family could serve their neighbors.
Encourage them to do this
service with their family sometime during the week. Display the
hands on a bulletin board or a wall where the children will be
reminded of ways they can serve.
Encourage understanding and application (singing a song): Ask a
child to come to the front of the room and compare his or her hands
with yours. Point out that his or her hands are much smaller than
yours. Ask questions such as, “My big hands can pick up toys. Can
your little hands?” Involve all of the children by having them
compare their hands with their teacher’s hands. Point out that
their hands can do many acts of service even though they are small.
Sing “I Have Two Little Hands” (CS, 272). Invite the children to
fold their hands in front of them while they sing. When they sing
the word hands, have them lift both hands in the air and then
quickly fold them again.
Week 4: When I serve my neighbors, I serve God.
Identify the doctrine (memorizing a scripture): Write “When ye are
in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of
your God” (Mosiah 2:17) on the board and discuss its meaning. Help
the children memorize it by dividing the scripture into two
sections and having half of the children say the first part (“When
ye are in the service of your fellow beings”) and the other half
say the second part (“Ye are only in the service of your God”).
Repeat several times.
Encourage understanding (singing a song): Sing “When We’re Helping”
(CS, 198), substitut- ing the word serving for the word helping.
Repeat the song, substituting other family members for mother (for
example, father, brother, and sister).
Invite the children to pantomime a service they could perform for
that family member while they sing. Remind the children that when
we serve others, we serve God.
Encourage application (discussing service opportunities): Draw a
clock on the chalkboard. Divide the children into groups and assign
each group a different time of the day. Tell the children that they
can serve their family anytime during the day. Say to the children,
“Tick tock, tick tock, it’s time to serve at ____ o’clock!” Invite
the group assigned to that time to stand, and allow them to share
one way they could serve their family at that time of day. Repeat
until all the groups have had a turn.
Week 3: When I serve my family, I serve God.
Review the Doctrine
remember what they’ve learned.
Tip: Having the children
ways will make learning
different methods to divide
the children, such as girls
and boys, those wearing a
specific color, or those with
birthdays in the first and
second part of the year.
Encourage understanding and application (reporting on service):
Invite the children to retell the story of the good Samaritan in
their own words. Use the same costumes you used the previous week
to help them remember. Then give the children an opportunity to
report on their “Service Smiles” from last week. One way to do this
is to create a wheel like the one shown here,
with each class in your Primary listed. Spin the wheel and invite
one or two children in the class indicated to report on their
service and how it helped them and others feel happy. Repeat as
time allows.
SERVICE WITH A SMIL E
W HE
24
Encourage understanding and application (discussing pictures and
objects): Bring four boxes wrapped as gifts. Each box should
contain a picture or object representing one of the following
events and a piece of paper with an explanation of the blessing or
gift it portrays:
• Event: Jesus’s birth; gift: “Heavenly Father gave His Only
Begotten Son to be our Savior.”
• Event: the Sermon on the Mount; gift: “Jesus Christ taught us how
to live righteously.”
• Event: Jesus praying in Gethsemane; gift: “Jesus Christ made it
possible for us to be saved from sin.”
• Event: the Resurrection; gift: “Jesus Christ made it possible for
us to be resurrected.”
Have a different child unwrap each box, and discuss how we are
blessed by each of the gifts.
Encourage application (writing or drawing): Discuss ways to give
gifts to the Savior by serving others and showing love to them (see
Matthew 25:40). Give each child a piece of paper and invite them to
write or draw one gift they will give the Savior. Then have them
fold the paper in half and decorate the outside like a gift.
Week 2: Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.
Identify the doctrine (discussing birthdays): Ask the children:
“Think of a time you celebrated your birthday in a special way.
What did you do?” Allow a few children to talk about their
birthdays. Explain that Heavenly Father had His prophets tell the
world, from the beginning of time, about the most important birth
in the history of the world—the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Explain that this message was so important that prophets were
willing to give their lives to testify that Christ would come. Have
the children repeat the phrase “Jesus Christ came to earth as
promised by the prophets.”
Encourage understanding (acting out scripture stories): Display
pictures of a few prophets who taught that Jesus Christ would come.
Divide the children into groups and give each group a scripture
reference that describes an account of one of the prophet’s
teachings. Have the groups take turns dramatizing the accounts (see
TNGC, 165–66) while the rest of the Primary identifies which
prophet they are portraying. Prophets could include King Benjamin
(Mosiah 2:1, 5–7; 3:5–8), Abinadi (Mosiah 12:1, 9; 15:1–2; 17:1,
8–10), and Samuel the Lamanite (Helaman 14:1–5; 16:1–2). Testify
that Jesus Christ did come to the earth and the prophecies
concerning Him were fulfilled.
December I Know That My Redeemer Lives “And now, after the many
testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony,
last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!” (D&C
76:22).
Supplement the ideas provided here with some of your own. Plan ways
to identify the doctrine for the children and help them understand
it and apply it in their lives. Ask yourself, “What will the
children do to learn, and how can I help them feel the
Spirit?”
Week 1: Jesus Christ came to earth as promised by the prophets.Tip:
Children respond well
to visuals. Consider using
a variety of visuals,
25
Week 4: I can live with Jesus Christ again.
Encourage understanding (reading scriptures and role-playing): Tell
the children that they will be reporting on the great news that
Jesus Christ will return to the earth someday. Choose two children
to pretend to be TV or newspaper reporters who will ask each class
some questions. Give each class one or two of the following
questions and scripture references and a few minutes to prepare:
What are some signs of Jesus’s Second Coming? ( Joseph Smith—
Matthew 1:28–29); How will He come? (Matthew 24:29–31); When will
He come? (Matthew 24:36, 42, 44); What will happen to the righteous
people when He comes? (D&C 88:96–97); What
will the government be like after He comes? (Articles of Faith
1:10; D&C 29:11; 45:58–59); What will animals be like after He
comes? (Isaiah 11:6–9; Hosea 2:18). Have the two children who are
acting as reporters take turns asking the questions, and have each
group respond.
Encourage application (discussing and singing): Discuss with the
children ways that we can be prepared for Jesus to come again.
Empha- size that if we live righteously, we have no need to fear.
Invite them to discuss this with their parents at home. Sing “When
He Comes Again” (CS, 82–83).
Encourage understanding (participating in a physical activity):
Before Primary begins, attach to the bottom of chairs some paper
stepping- stones with one of the following written on each stone:
baptism, confirmation, prayer, family home evening, partaking of
the sacrament, attending church, and temple marriage. Place a
picture of the world at one end of the room and a picture of Jesus
Christ at the other end of the room. Ask a child to try to jump
from one picture to the other. Explain that there are steps we must
take to live with Jesus and Heavenly Father again. Have the
children look to see if they have a stepping-stone attached to the
bottom of their chair. Invite those with stepping-stones to come to
the front one at a time and tell how doing the action on their
stone will bring them closer to Christ. Place the stepping-stone on
the floor between the two pictures. Continue until the
stepping-stones make a path across the room. Invite a child to walk
from the picture of the world to the picture of the Savior,
touching only the stepping-stones. Encourage the children to always
do what is right so they can stay on the path to return to live
with Jesus Christ again.
Encourage application (drawing and color- ing): Have the children
trace their feet on separate pieces of paper and write or draw on
each tracing one step they could take to live with Jesus
Christ
again. Have the pianist softly play “I Will Follow God’s Plan” (CS,
164–65) while they color. Encourage the children to take their
drawings home and share them with their families.
Week 3: Jesus Christ will return to the earth someday.
Meaningful Physical Activities Children learn through
being involved in meaningful activities. In this activity the
children take steps that represent
things they can do to come closer to Christ. Consider ways to
involve as many
children as possible.
those you teach, give
done. For example, you
sharing your story about
your family,” instead of
giving a generic compli-
“thank you.”
and younger children. For
example, the first activity
better with older children.
activity for younger
a skilled musician or have
a beautiful voice to make
singing fun and meaningful
in Primary.
How to Use Music in Primary The purpose of music in Primary is to
teach children the gospel of Jesus Christ. Primary songs make
learning the gospel more enjoyable, invite the Spirit, and create a
reverent and learning atmosphere.
Prelude music creates an atmosphere of reverence and helps children
prepare to learn the gospel. Have music playing as the children
arrive.
Invite the children to participate in the prelude music by having
them sing as others are entering the Primary room. For example, you
could hold up your hand and tell the children that when your
hand is open they should quietly sing, and when your hand is closed
they should hum the melody.
Play a song the children are learning during the prelude time; this
can help them become familiar with the melody. Identify the song,
and then hum the melody for them. Then ask them to hum the melody
with you.
Music can engage the children from the first moment they arrive in
Primary.
Tip: Music can help the
children calm down and
For example, you could
Tell them that as you lower
your hands, they should
slowly. Thank them for
Use music to teach gospel principles
Help the children understand they are learning not only a song but
also a gospel principle (see CS, iii). Ask questions or help them
focus on the principle taught in the song through a simple activity
such as counting how many times they sing a word or phrase (see
February helps for the music leader).
Children testify as they sing (see January, week 1). Remind the
children to sit up tall and sing with their best voices. Compliment
the children and thank them when they sing well.
Use prelude music to bring reverence and invite the Spirit
27
Involve the children in choosing songs to review. For example, give
each child a paper heart, and ask them to write their name and a
favorite Primary song on it. Put the hearts in a container labeled
“Songs of the Heart,” and have the
children choose a few to sing. Tell the children that Primary songs
can be a source of comfort, guidance, and inspiration and that we
can sing them almost anytime, anywhere.
Practice at Home To teach a song effectively,
you must know the song yourself. Practice at home so when you teach
the children you can look at them,
not at your book.
How to teach a song
As you plan how to teach a song, ask yourself the following
questions: How can I attract the children’s attention? What
questions can I ask to help the children understand the gospel
message of the song? What testimony can I leave with the children
that will strengthen them? (See CS, 300.)
Always sing the words of a new song to the children—don’t just read
or recite them. This helps the children connect the melody to the
words. Children learn a song by hearing and
singing it over and over again. They do not need to read to learn a
song. For example, you could invite the children to be your echo.
Touch your ear and have the children listen to a short phrase or a
line as you sing. Then motion to them when it is their turn to sing
the line back to you. Sing two lines this way, and then repeat them
until the children know them. Repeat with the next two lines (and
then the next two, and so on) until they have learned the whole
song.
Review songs for learning and fun
Use music to engage children and provide appropriate movement
Using movement while singing can help the children learn songs more
quickly. It can also keep their attention. Ensure that the
movements you use with sacred songs are appropriate. Simple hand
gestures for key words or phrases can be appropriate for almost any
song (see January helps for the music leader). For example, when
singing “I Feel My Savior’s Love” (CS, 74–75), tell the children
that every time they sing the word love they should put their hands
over their heart.
There are several fun activity songs in the Children’s Songbook.
Have fun with them, and the children will too. For example:
• Sing “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” (CS, 275) with the
children at the regular speed, and then challenge them to keep up
with you as you sing it faster and faster.
• Sing “I Hope They Call Me on a Mission” (CS, 169). Invite younger
children to pretend they are riding a horse and carrying a Book of
Mormon to people who live far away. (They could also pretend to be
flying on an airplane or riding on a bumpy train.)
Tip: Using music
helping them recognize
Ask yourself:
1. How can I attract the children’s attention?
2. What questions can I ask to help the children understand the
gospel message of the song?
3. What testimony can I leave with the children that will
strengthen them?
My Plan to Teach a Song
28
New song goes here
I Know That My Savior Loves Me Words and music by
Tami Jeppson Creamer and Derena Bell
Copyright © 2002 by Tami Jeppson Creamer and Derena Bell. All
rights reserved. This song may be copied for incidental,
noncommercial home or church use.
This notice must be included on each copy made.
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I Know That My Savior Loves Me
Copyright @ 2002 by Tami Jeppson Creamer and Derena Bell. All
rights reserved. This song may be copied for incidental,
noncommercial home and church use. This notice must be included on
each copy made.
SmartMusic SoftSynth 1Acoustic Grand Piano
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Published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
© 2009 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed
in the USA. English approval: 5/07
Image credits: Front cover: Perfect Love, by Del Parson, © Del
Parson. Page 3: John the Baptist Baptizing Jesus, by Harry
Anderson, © IRI; Christ and the Book of Mormon Children, by Del
Parson, © 1995 Del Parson; The First Vision, by Gary Kapp, © Gary
Kapp—do not copy. Page 9: The Desires of My Heart, by Walter Rane,
courtesy Church History Museum. Page 14: Jesus Healing the Blind,
by Carl Heinrich Bloch, used by permission of the National Historic
Museum at Frederiksborg in Hillerod, Denmark. Page 15: John the
Baptist Baptizing Jesus, by Harry Anderson, © IRI; Go Ye T